Overview of Challenges Experienced by Small Farmers in Engaging with Markets

Overview of Challenges Experienced by Small Farmers in Engaging with Markets, by Mr. Nonoy Villas, presented the rationale behind supporting small farmers’ commodity-based associations. He started with the definition of terms to illustrate that the small farmers have the weakest link in both the supply and the value chains.

He added that small farmers are much weaker now than 15 years ago due to many changes such as changes in the global agricultural market, changes in national government, increasing urbanization, emergence of new market segments, and the ever-increasing challenges of economies of scale. He enumerated the various types of small-farmer commodity organizations, their roles and functions, and some of the specific challenges (for instance, the investment requirements governing cooperatives) that each of them might soon have to address.

Mr. Villas concluded with a discussion on the emergence of pockets of changes and possibilities (some in advanced stages, some new ones) that can serve as models in inspiring and encouraging more initiatives to consolidate commodities and scale up operation so that the small farmholders can have a strong voice in the market.

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